Architecture student turns school bus into living space
For his master's final project, Hank Butitta bought an old school bus for $3,000. With about 15 months of work and $6,000 in improvements, the bus became a mobile living space that includes a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom.
Hank Butitta bought an old school bus for $3,000. With about 15 months of work and $6,000 in improvements, the bus became a mobile living space.
Instead of designing some imaginary building, architecture student Hank Butitta decided to do something more tangible for his master's final project: He turned an old school bus into a modern living space.
Butitta bought a bus on Craigslist for $3,000. With about 15 months of work and about $6,000 in improvements, the former student transportation vessel became an innovative home on wheels.
"In architecture school, I was tired of drawing buildings that would never exist, for clients that were imaginary, and with details I didn’t fully understand," Butitta wrote on his website. "I prefer to work with my hands, exploring details thoroughly, and enjoy working/prototyping at full scale."
The bus home is broken into four primary zones: bathroom, kitchen, seating and sleeping. The driver area can be separated from the living space with a sliding door panel; while on the road, it is left open.
Earlier this month, Butitta and some fellow adventurers set out in the bus on a tour of the western U.S., putting the living space to the test.
To read more about the bus and the trip, and to see more photos, go to www.hankboughtabus.com.
To see some other interesting uses for old school buses, see our photo gallery here.
More Management
Walton County Schools Adds Gatekeeper Stop-Arm Enforcement System
The Florida district will deploy Gatekeeper’s updated Student Protector technology, which now incorporates AI to improve video evidence.
Read More →
Zum Reaches 19 States With New York Expansion
The addition of the Empire State to the student transportation company's roster marks a growing expansion in the Northeast as it scales its tech and school bus services.
Read More →
First Student Updates Its Parent App
First View connects both yellow bus and alternative transportation, giving families one platform to track student trips for the new school year, with 15 languages supported.
Read More →
The Back-to-School Checklist Every Director Should Complete Before the First Bell
Help your transportation team start the school year strong with these tips for contingency planning, communication, fleet visibility, technology, and trip management.
Read More →
How a New York District Cut Nearly $1M in Transportation Costs While Expanding Bus Access
A data-driven overhaul with BusRight reduced Poughkeepsie City School District's planned routes from 26 to 17 while extending school bus service to about 1,200 additional students.
Read More →
Budgets Down, Enrollment Shifting: What the Data Says Districts Should Watch
School transportation departments face two converging challenges this year: tightening budgets and shifting enrollment. Most districts still address these issues separately, but the assumption that either trend will simplify operations is proving incorrect.
Read More →
These 8 School Transportation Companies Made the 2026 Inc. 5000 List
Find out which school transportation contractors, technology providers, and suppliers ranked among America’s fastest-growing private companies.
Read More →
The Link Between Emotional Intelligence and School Bus Safety
How can emotional intelligence help transportation pros navigate stress, manage change, and build stronger relationships? Listen to find out.
Read More →
What Emotional Intelligence Has to Do With School Bus Safety
In this video, discover how emotional intelligence can help transportation leaders and drivers navigate stress, manage change, and build stronger relationships. The Route is sponsored by IC Bus.
Read More →
Beyond Two-Way Radios: School Bus Communications Evolve With Push-to-Talk Over Cellular
PRYME Radio and PositionPTT join forces to advance hands-free radio use and reduce distracted driving. See how PoC compares with traditional radios on range, cost, safety, and connectivity.
Read More →